Arkaystia

Arkaystia, officially the Republic of Arkaystia (Arkaystian: Республіка Аркастія, Respublika Arkastiya) is a country located in Sonrisa. It became a democratic republic in 1900. It is home to the three Great Lakes in Western Sonrisa, Mostov, Staghorn and Fawksohrn. Arkaystia is notable for its mountains in the northeast of the country which stretch beyond its borders. It is known for it's diverse culture mixing the modern world with it's traditional people who are well respected by the settled community, as well as it's biodiverse landscape, particularly in the north. It is home to over 47 million people with open borders. It's capital city is Prekysta, located in the the Gulf of Kontar in the east. It is a member of the United Nations and the Sonrisan Union. It's developing economy has seen the nation reduce it's inequality and poverty levels significantly.

History
The Arkaystian lands have been home to the Arkay people for thousands of years. South of the Dragonaesta Mountains provided them with security that meant they were removed from any conflict. Arkaystia was part of the Sonrisan Empire until 1893 before officially declaring itself as a republic in 1900 after the dismantling of the Sonrisan Empire. It was a peaceful negotiation and the borders were confirmed in 1909 as part of the Arkay-Zycant Agreement and the two countries have had amicable relations since their establishment. Since it's independence Arkaystia has been developing largely following an industrial revolution in the 1930s and strong trade links with its neighbouring countries helping the nation to modernize. Today, Arkaystia is part of the developed world but it has a disparity of wealth due to it's large population surpassing 47 million people (2015). An influx of people occurred in the 1940s and 1950s following great economic development in the south of the country and a booming agricultural sector. The country continued to blossom in the second half of the 20th century with the growth of a strong music industry and booming cities along the southern coast. In December 2017, the country acquired a large area of land from the unstable Zarta, bordering Arkaystia in the northwest. This became the eighth state of Arkaystia, known as Lotsira. With it came 3 million people, the vast majority of which had Arkaystian ancestry. It was a peaceful transferal.

Geography
The country shares a land border with Zycantia to the east, and a tiny land border with political ally Loafousia following the purchase of coastal land from Zycantia in 2017. The country also shares a border with Zarta to the north. The geography of Arkaystia is quite diverse. The Dragonaesta Mountains run across the northeast of the country and into the neighbouring nation of Zycantia. They are home to the source of the Great Lakes that are within the country's borders. The mountains are home to a thick evergreen forest which in recent times has been deforested for agricultural and exportation purposes. It is believed to be home to the white wolf, the only species of it's kind on the Western Sonrisan continent. The mountains get their name from ancient belief they homed mythical beasts that were influenced by the moon and stars. The highest mountains in northern Dragonae reach just over 7000ft., making them some of the tallest in the world.

The land of Arkaystia is fertile in the centre of the country stretching to the Fawksohrn Lake in the east. These fertile lands benefit from fluvial flooding from snow melt in the spring that replenishes nutrients in the soils. These brown soils are expansive through the central region of the country. They have enabled the country to build a large agricultural sector.

The cities are mainly located along Arkaystia's expansive coastline, including it's capital city, Prekysta. It has become known worldwide for it's vast beaches and warm weather in the summer months in the south of the nation. Most native Arkaystians are now located in the northwest and in the highlands of the northeast, where the land is more marshy and traditional values are still highly respected. It is the most sparsely populated region. The vast majority of the Arkaystian population live in the southern half of the country due to prosperity of life.

Flag


The Arkaystian Flag was finalized and formally presented in late 1949 when the country declared itself a republic. It replaced the old flag that had existed under the Sonrisan Empire which the general population and Arkaystian leaders no longer felt represented the new nation. The flag was received with overwhelmingly positive reviews after being unveiled with support coming from the settled and native communities as well as neighbouring countries. It was said to be the right move for the nation to make as they looked to the next chapter in their history. The flag was designed by Stefan Jayksenmi who wanted to represent the native Arkaystians, whom he felt must be protected and respected as the country moved into the future because they were the people who made the country what it was today. He also wanted to represent Arkaystia's stunning natural beauty which is represented by the mountain peak in the top left corner of the flag. It is encircled to represent the rising sun in the east, representing the new life breathed into the land everyday. The mountains are the sources of Arkaystia's three Great Lakes and their vast river systems which have provided fertile lands throughout the country allowing for a grand agricultural sector. There are seven stripes on the flag, representing the seven provinces within Arkaystia's borders, including the Jamalova Islands. The stripes alternate from sandy-tan, representing the native people and their traditions, to white, representing the peace that has existed within Arkaystia's borders before and since it's independence. Peace has made Arkaystia a welcome place to all. It is unknown whether the flag will be updated to include an eighth stripe, to represent the new province of Lotsira, following the collapse of the former country of Zarta.

Culture
Adding soon.

Provinces


Arkaystia's provincial borders formed in 1949 were roughly similar to the boundaries that existed before the republic was declared as the country had gained independence in the early 20th century. Seven different regions were formed by the government which they felt were the most beneficial to the existing relationships between peoples within the provinces that would guarantee fair government funding in proportion to population in the future. Seven of the provinces are located on the Arkaystian mainland with the eighth located in the Lagos Sonrisan Strait and made up of three islands, the largest being Olgogradov.

The borders were redrawn in 2017 following a referendum in Zarta in the northwest which saw a large transfer of land to Arkaystia. This was due to the collapse of the Zartanese country. The people of the Lotsiran province felt homogeneous historically, culturally and traditionally with the large native population in Arkaykiv which as a result saw them vote to join Arkaystia through popular vote. The referendum passed by a vote of 82.4% YES to 16.6% NO. The government declared this the 8th province of Arkaystia. It was renamed Lotsira following it's peaceful transferal. The remaining land of Zarta would be occupied by the Arkaystian Army to keep peace until a stable government could be found. The updated map also saw the small enlargement to Tretsk, which lay its claim to the Zycantian coastline. The land was declared Arkaystian in April 2017, after tense negotiations with the Zycantian president. The transfer of land cost the country 4 billion Arkays. This meant that Arkaystia now had a border with political and economic ally, Loafousia.

Tretsk is the most populous state, with 21,380,000 people living in it. This is due to the capital of the country, Prekysta being located within it's borders. The least populous state is Dragonae, north of Tretsk, which has a minute population of 520,000. This is due to the harsh terrain and cold winters. The provinces of Arkaykiv and Stekamova are primarily focused on the agricultural sector, whilst the provinces of Dragonae, Lotsira and Milykava focus on the secondary sector. The Jamalova Islands, Kaysta and Tretsk are focused on the tertiary sector and are economically driven by tourism.

Media
On the 5 June 2016, Arkaystian TV (ATV) revealed that it had been invited to take part in the inaugural Maia Song Contest by the Maia Broadcasting Union, an offer which ATV accepted. The contest is due to take place in Farsknordi in Björnska in June or July 2016. To date 22 countries have expressed their interest in sending a song to the contest. On 8 June 2016 the Arkaystian Head of Delegation announced that the artist chosen to represent the country on its debut will be internally selected by a panel of music and tv professionals. So far no artists have publicly announced their enthusiasm to enter the contest, but ATV have said to "expect big things" and that they are even looking at grassroots artists to potentially fly the flag in Farsknordi. Contrary to previous reports, on the 15 June 2016 ATV made a surprise announcement that they would in fact be hosting a national final, held in the Glomrau Arena in Prekysta. 8 artists are in the running to become Arkaystia's representative.